Registering device for multicolor printing



P 1942. F. SHURLEY REGISTERING DEVICE FOR MULTICOLOR PRINTING Filed July 3, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Wade wk? 6621 2291 BY ATTORNEY.

April 7, 1942.

F. SHURLEY 2,278,570 'REGISTERING DEVICE FOR MULTICOLOR PRINTING Filed July 3, 1939 5. Sheets-Sheet 2 INVIINTOR. Wade rat?! Sfiaklgv BY ATTORNEY.

F. SHURLEY REGISTERING DEVICE FOR MULTICOLOR PRINTING April 7, 1942.

Filed July 3, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 74 0860252 57 1 12 1 AT'IdRNEY.

April 7, 1942.

-F. SHURL'EY REGISTERING DEVICE FOR MULTICOLQR PRINTING Filed July 3, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE REGISTERING DEVICE FOR MULTICOLOR PRINTING This invention relates to a machine of the general type disclosed in my Letters Patent No. 2,060,385, for printing designs, trade-marks and/or other insignia, directly upon articles having a hard, impenetrable surface, such as bottles, jars, tumblers, bulbs, cans, and the like, made from a wide variety of materials, as for example, glass, synthetic resin, or metal.

In machines of the class above designated the articles are usually supported in relation to a screen or printing devices, and each article is rotated upon its own axis, the articles being operated upon individually while so turning, by any suitable form of mechanism, which may be of the nature of printing mechanism, of which an example isshown in said Letters Patent No. 2,060,385.

In multi-color printing upon such articles, it is important to provide for exact registry of each article with the printing means at the printing station; and the present invention consists in its broad generic aspect of means to sense the position of each article as it moves toward the printing station; and to arrest each article in its desired rotative position in the carrier preliminary to the printing operation, then releasing the article and rotating it about its axis as the printing is effected.

With these objects in mind, the invention includes the provision of sensing means adapted to contact a projection upon the exterior of the article as the same is rotated about its own axis; and the provision of electrical'circuits, including a relay circuit in which the sensing device is included, and a brake-operating circuit controlled by the relay circuit and acting to arrest the rota-I tion of the article under control by the sensing device.

The invention also provides a registering device for multi-color printing wherein each article to be registered is rotated in turn until a projection thereon has been contacted by a needle, which occurs when the article has been turned to its desired rotary position, and whereupon the article is gripped and held immovable until it has been moved to printing position and actual printing is about to commence.

The invention also is to provide such a registering device for multi-color printing wherein means are provided for retaining the needle in contact with each article in turn as it is being registered, even if the periphery of the article is not truly circular.

The instant invention relates more particularly to registering devices of the same general type as that shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 256,308, new Patent No. 2,229,347.

These and other'features of the invention will be shown in the accompanying drawings, and described hereinafter, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters are applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of the assembly of my invention and a portion of a printing machine to which it is applied.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure4 is an end view of the tubular arm and the casing mounted thereon for mounting the electromagnetic pick-up senser.

Figure-5 is an enlarged end view of the casing showing the in section and the pick-up electromagnet,

Figure 6 is an enlarged side view of the casing with the cover removed showing the electromagnet structure.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 1'l of Figure 5.

v Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the pick-up reed, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged view showing the pivotal reed mounting,

Figure 10 is a wiring diagram showing the input connection of the inductive pick-up to theamplifiers and grid control tube for controlling the electro-magnetic brakes of the chucks.

Referring to the drawings, I designates a portion of a stand of a conventional printing ma; chine uponwhich a carriage 2 is reciprocate by a connecting rod 3 mounted upon a' crank Q; of a shaft .5 which is turned in any preferred",

mannernot shown. Mounted on both sides of,

the stand I are lugs 6 in which opposed pairs of.

stops I are provided. Carried by the carriage 2 are two parallel rods 8 the axial alignment of which coincides with the direction of movement of the carriage. Formed in the rods 8 are cam slots 9 to receive the lower extremities of pins l0 which extend downwardly from a printing frame II which is supported by the'carriage for reciprocation therewith. As the carriage ap-' proaches each extremity of its travel the rods 8 strike one pair of stops 1 and consequently their continued movement with the carriage is arrested. The continued movement of the pins I with the printing frame II and carriage 2 moves the said pins out of the cam slots 9 and raises the frame II. As the carriage and frame commence their return stroke and the rods are moved away from the stops 1, balanced springs I2 provided around the extremities of the rods return the latter to their normal positions with respect to the carriage 2 and pins I0 shown in Figure l. The pins then drop back into the cam slots 9 and the printing frame II is again lowered to its normal printing position. Fixed on the stand I is a suitable switch 34 having an upwardly projecting operating arm 35 laterally from which a roller 36 extends which rests upon the top of the frame 'I I. Consequently as the latter is raised and lowered the switch is actuated by movement of the arm 35 in a manner hereinafter described.

Mounted upon the stand I and extending trans versely of the path of movement of the carriage 2 and beneath the latter is a shaft I5 mounted for intermittent rotation. Fixed upon the shaft I5 are two opposed carrier plates I6 and I1. Radially mounted upon the carrier I6 are a plurality of chucks I8 which are inwardly urged by springs I9; and mounted upon the carrier I1, respectively opposite one of the chucks I8, are corresponding other chucks 20. Each opposed pair of chucks I8 and are intended to support an article A to be printed, moreover the chucks and the article between them are normally free to turn so that the said article may be rotated to the position it is to assume for commencement of the printing operation. Extending axially from each chuck 20 is a spindle 2 I, Figure 3, which extends through an electro-magnet 22 carried by the carrier plate I1, and held against independent rotation upon the spindle 2I is a brake plate 23 which is drawn against the electro-magnet when the latter is energized, thereby arresting rotation of the chuck and the article A one extremity of which is supported thereby. Since the construction of the chucks 20, the electro-magnets 22 and the various coacting parts have already been described in my co-pending application Serial No. 219,014, now Patent No. 2,211,175, it is not believed necessary to further describe this portion of the structure.

Provided around the outer periphery of the carrier I1, and preferably supported in annular insulated grooves formed therein, are two parallel sets of segmental contacts 24 and 25. Each segment of each set extends through substantially 90 and around like portions of the carrier periphery, by which I mean that the ends of the segments of the two sets are disposed in transverse alignment. Suitably mounted upon a bracket 25, supported by the stand I, are brushes 29 and 29 which wipe the segments 24 and respectively in turn as the carrier I1 rotates, and,

mounted upon a similar bracket 21 are brushes 30 and 3I which also wipe the segments 24 and 25 respectively. Between adjacent pairs of segments 24, and 25, insulation 32 is provided by which each adjacent pair of segments is sufficiently spaced that no brush can be in contact with more than one segment at a time. Each of the segments 24 is connected with one extremity of the winding of one of the electro magnets 22, and each opposed segment 25 is connected to the opposite extremity of the winding of that magnet,

by connections 33 and 31 respectively, Figure 3. Supported for rotation by the stand I is a stub shaft 38 having a friction disc 39 thereon which a A pick-up coil III contacts the periphery of each chuck 20 in turn when the latter reaches a predetermined position and rotates it when 'the said chuck is free to turn. The shaft 38 is provided with suitable means for rotating it as for instance a sprocket wheel 40 over which a chain 4I passes which is driven from any suitable source-not shown.

On a support I0 I, which is mounted in a manner not shown, a tubular arm I02 is pivotally mounted by a pin I03. A spring I04 connected at one extremity to the support IOI and at its opposite extremity to the arm I02 tends to move the latter about the axis of the pin I03 and thereby move a casing I01 on one extremity of the said arm towards the shaft I5. In threaded engagement with the support IN is a screw I05 the outer extremity of which is adapted to contact the arm I02 and limit the pivotal movement of the latter. Obviously by adjusting the screw I05 the amount of pivotal movement permitted the arm I02 may be varied.

Suitably supported in the casing I01 is a permanent magnet (Figures 6 and '7) I08, the extremities of which'are each in contact respectively with-a separate and substantially U-shaped magnetic member I09 and I I0 the open ends of which are adjacent and in alignment with one another.

extends into the central portions of both the said members and extends between them. Multi-sided blocks II2 suitably secured to the inner face of the casing I01 have threaded openings therein and project in the central cavities of the members I09 and III. Clips II3 having screws II4 therethrough in engagement with the threaded block openings bear against the outer faces of the members -I09 and H0 and retain the latter in their desired positions. A reed H5 is mounted for limited pivotal movement between the adjacent curved extremities H191: and Ba of the members I09 and H0 respectively and extends through the center of the coil I I I. The sides of the reed are preferably covered with rubber as shown at I I5a to cushion the reed particularly where it is supported for pivotal movement. Extending transversely of the reed H5 is a tubular internally threaded portion I I5b which opens into a hollow portion I I50 into which a needle H8 is inserted. A screw H1 in threaded engagement with the tubular portion I I5b retains the needle in position. A cover H3 is secured over the casing I01 as by a screw II9 which is screwed into a threaded opening I20 provided in the casing. Extending from opposite ends of the pickup coil III are leads I2I and I22 which extend from the casing through a suitable opening and pass through the tubular arm I02.

I will now describe the electric control means with the aid of the wiring diagram shown in Figure 10.

The leads I2I and I22 of pick-up coil IIIare connected to the primary winding of a transformer I23, the ends of the secondary winding of which are connected to opposite ends of a potentiometer I24 by wires I25 and I26. Extending from a movable arm on the potentiometer I24 is a lead I21 which extends to the grid of an amplifying tube I28, and from the plate of the latter a lead I29 is connected to a condenser I30. From this condenser a lead I3I is provided which is connected to the grid of an amplifying tube 45.

Extending from the lead I29 is a wire I32 terminating in aresistor I33 from which a wire I34 extends to the positive side of a power supply 60b. A lead I35 from the grid of the amplifying tube I28 extends to a resistor I36, and a connection I31 from the latter is connected to the lead I34. A lead I38 from the cathode and suppressor grid of the tube I28 extends to a resistor I39 and another lead I48 from th said resistor is suitably grounded at I68. A lead I from one side of the filament of the amplifying tube I28 is connected to a secondary winding of a trans former I42 and from the latter a wire I43 is also connected to the lead I48. The ends of the primary winding of the transformer I42 are connected to a suitable source of power 68c. One of the windings on the secondary side of the transformer I42 is connected by a lead I44 to the lead I43 and also-by a wire I45 and a wire I46 to the plates of a rectifier tube I41. Other leads I48 and I49 are connected to the filament of the rectifier tube I41 and also to another secondary winding of the transformer I42. The lead I49 is connected also to a filter choke I58 which is in turn connected by a wire I5I to the positive side of a source of power 68b. The lead I49 is connected through a condenser I52 by a lead I53 to the lead I43. The lead I5I is connected to the lead I43 through a condenser I55 by a lead I54, and also through a bleeder resistance I51 by a lead I56 to the lead I48.

A lead 1I extends from the plate of the amplifying tube 45 to the grid of a second amplifying tube 46. From the plate of the latter a lead 12 extends through a condenser 51 and resistor 56 to the grid of a gaseous tube 41 which acts as a grid control tube. From the cathode of the gaseous tube a lead 13 extends to a binding post G and from the latter a lead 14 is connected to one side of the switch 34. The opposite side of this switch is connected by a lead 15 to a binding post C, and from this lead a wire 1511 also extends to the brush 29 which wipes the segmental contacts as the carrier I1 rotates. 28 which is in the circuit with the brush 29 is connected to the latter through each of the electro-magnets 22 in turn as the shaft I5 turns. From the brush 28 a lead 16 extends which is connected to a binding post 1), and from the latter through leads 11 and 99, and through the resistor 52 to the negative side of a source of power 89. Another lead 18 also extends from the post D to a neon tube 6|.

The brush 38 which wipesthe segmental contacts 24 is connected by a lead 19 to a binding post F and from the latter by a lead 88 to a resistor 58. From the latter connection is made through leads 88a and 99 to the negative side of The brush.

tube 6| is connected to the binding post C by a lead 93. The cathode of the amplifying tube 46 is connected by a lead 94 to the potentiometer 63. The lead 12 between the condenser 51 and the resistor 56 is connected to the resistor 49 by a lead 95; this latter resistor being grounded at 91 to the instrument casing. The lead 82 is connected by a wire 96 to the lead 13, and in the wire 96 intermediately of its length the condenser 58 and resistor 53 are interposed. A- binding post H is grounded to the instrument casing at 98.

The operation is as follows: When the needle II6 contacts a projection such as the seam AA on a bottle A it causes a slight movement of the reed H5 in the coil III The usual mold seam on a bottle, such as a milk bottle, as commercially furnished, isof very slight elevation, of the'order of one one-hundredth of an inch. This sets up a current in the latter which energizes the primary side of the transformer I23. The current in the latter is then stepped up and impresses across the potentiometer I24 and is carried to the grid of the amplifying tube I28 causing the said grid to become more positive so that more current flows to the plate-of the said tube. This charges the condenser I38 so that this positive charge is carried by the lead I3I to theamplifying tube 45 and the grid of the latter becomes more positive. This increases the current in the plate of the tube and through the leads H and 9850 that the grid of the tube 46 becomes less positive, and results in a reduction of current flow through the lead 12 thereby making the side of the condenser 51 connected to the lead 12 more positive. The reaction of the condenser 51 to this change in potential makes the grid of current to flow from the the gaseous tube 41 more positive and fires this tube causing it to function as a relay and energize one of the electro-magnets 22 by allowing power source 68 through the leads 99, 88a, 88, and 19, the resistor 58 and binding post F to the brush 38; and from the brush 3|. through the leads M and 82, post E,

the source of power 68. The brush 38 is connected through one of the magnets 22 to the brush.3l; from the latter a lead 8I extends to a binding post E. This binding post is connected by a lead 82 to the plate of the gaseous tube 41. The binding post G is connected by a lead 83 to the positive side of the source of power 68 and also 'to an adjustable resistor 55, and from the a lead I59 to a ground I68. The lead 85 is also connected to a lead 86 connecting the adjustabl resistor with the potentiometer 63. I

From the lead 84, which is suitably grounded to the casing of the instrument as shown at 81, a lead 88' extends to the negative side of the power'source' 68. The cathode of the tube 45 is From the lead 84 a connection is position. As rotation of the carriers occurs the v and the plate and cathode of the gaseous tube- 81, leads 13 and-83, binding post G, and back to the source of power 68. When this occurs one of the chucks 28 is held immovable on carrier- I1 byits magnet 22. The carriers I6 and I1 holding the chucks I8 and 28 are then ready to be rotated 1 by shaft I5 to bring the work A to its printing switch 34 is closed by upward movement of the printing frame II which brings the switch contacts 34a and 34b together. v The closing of this switch closes a circuit beginning with the negative side of the source of power 68, through the lead. 99, the resistor 52, lead 11, binding post D, lead 16, switch 34, lead 14, binding post G, lead 83, and to the positive side of the power source 68. When rotation of the car.- rier I1 by shaft I5 occurs the segments 24 and 25 energized through the brushes 38 and 3| also come into contact with the brushes 28 and 29 respectively. Then short circuiting of the brushes 29 and 3I by one of the segments 25 extinguishes the gaseoustube 41, thereby cutting off the supply of power through that tube, but as the brushes 28 and 29 are directly supplied from the power source 68 so long as the holding switch 84 .open, Then of course into intimate contact remains closed the magnet 22 between these brushes remains energized until rotation of the carrier IT has ceased and a downward movement of the printing frame ll causes the switch 34 to the circuit is broken, and the chuck 20 in conjunction with which that magnet 22 operates is again free to turn.

When the carriers 16 and [1 have been turned so that a bottle A supported between opposed pairs of chucks II and the needle H8, the chuck 20, the bottle A and the chuck I8 supporting the opposite extremity of the latter, are rotated by the disc 39 until a projection upon the said bottle, such as the seam AA thereon, contacts the needle H6. Then a circuit is completed, as hereinbeiore described, through the brushes 30 and 3| and the electromagnet 22 connected to the segments 24 and 25 with which the said brushes 3!! and Si respectively are in contact. Rotation of the work is then immediately arrested by the brake plate 23 carried by the spindle 2!, which is then drawn with the brake magnet 22. As the carrier I1 is turned to move the work from registering to printing position upward movement of the printing frame ll closes a circuit through the brushes 28 and 29 and the same brake magnet 22. This short circuits the gaseous tube 41 and breaks the circuit through the brushes l and SI, however the same magnet 22 remains energized through the brushes 2B and 29 until the work has arrived at its printing position and the frame is again lowered to its position for reciprocation immediately prior to its next printing stroke. By lowering the frame the switch '34 is opened and the circuit through the brushes 28 and 29 is broken, so that the work about to be printed is again free to rotate in contact with the frame ll during the printing operation, and the chucks l8 and 20 holding the next bottle A just brought to registering position are also free to be turned by the disc 39.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be evident that the mechanism herein provided, including the sensing means and braking devices operated by the electrical relay and braking circuits, under the control of the sensing needle and its associated devices, serve to carry into effect the general and more particular objects of the invention,

by accomplishing exact registry of each bottle or other article to be printed and/or otherwise operated upon, with the operating mechanism, such as the printingframe which is herein illustrated merely by way of example, it being understood that the basic idea of means which under.- lies the present invention is capable of many embodiments other than the particular physical embodiment selected for illustration and description.

What I claim is: a 1. In a registering device for multi-color printing on molded containers having external peripheral mold seams of slight elevation, a chuck for holding said container fixedly thereon, a carrier, pivot mounting means for rotatably mounting said chuck on said carrier, support means for movably supporting said carrier for movement to translate said chuck selectively into an adjusting position or a printing position, said mounting means comprising electromagnetic brake means for locking said chuck in fixed orientation about the pivots on said carrier, a senser, senser mounting means for displaceably mounting said senser for engagement thereof with the periphery of said container as the same is rotated in said 20 is positioned to contact chuck about its pivots and for displacement of said senser when the'senser engages a said seam on said container, electromagnetic pick-up means comprising circuit connections, said senser being mounted with a portion thereof in the field of said electromagnetic pick-up means for impressing a voltage impulse on the circuit connections of said electromagnetic pick-up means when said senser is displaced in said field, control circuit means comprising amplifying means and liminal discharge control means actuated by the output of said amplifying means, the circuit connections of said electromagnetic pick-up means being connected to input terminals of said control circuit means, the output connections of said liminal discharge means being connected to said electromagnetic brake means for applying a powerful electric braking impulse to said braking means when said liminal discharge means is actuated, whereby rotation of said chucks and said container on said pivot mounting means into register position with a said seam of low elevation engaging said senser causes locking of said braking means and orientation of said container in printing register.

2. A registering device according to claim 1, said senser mounting means comprising resilient means positioned between said senser and said electromagnetic pick-up means for resiliently displaceably mounting said senser with reference to said electromagnetic pick-up means.

3. A registering device for multi-color printing on molded containers having external peripheral mold seams of slight elevation, comprising a printing machine, a printing frame mounted thereon for movement into a printing position or a rest position, a chuck for holding'said container fixedly thereon, a carrier, pivot mounting means for rotatably mounting said chuck on said carrier, support means for movably supporting said carrier for movement to translate said chuck selectively into an adjusting position or a printing position for engagement with said printing frame in its printing position, said mounting means comprising electromagnetic brake means for locking said chuck in fixed orientation about the pivots on said carrier, a senser, senser mounting means for displaceably mounting said senser for engagement thereof with the periphery of said container as the same is rotated in said chuck about its pivots and for displacement of said senser when the senser engages a said seam on said container, electromagnetic pick-up means comprising circuit connections, said senser being mounted with a portion thereof in the field of said'electromagnetic pick-up means when said senser is displaced in said field, control circuit means comprising amplifying means and liminal discharge control means actuated by the output of said amplifying means, the circuit connections of said electromagnetic pick-up means being connected to input terminals of said control circuit means, the output connections of said liminal discharge means being connected to said electromagnetic brake means for applying a powerful electric braking impulse to said braking means when said liminal discharge means is actuated, whereby rotation of said chucks and said container on said pivot mounting means into register position with a said seam of low elevation engaging said senser causes instantaneous locking of said braking means and orientation of said container in print register.

FREDERICK SHURLEY. 

